Vehicle Owners Face Fines & Impounding of Vehicle For Non Payment of Marchamo
Of the 681.000 vehicles registered by the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) - the state insurance company - to circulate the nation's roads, 86.000 still have to pay their 2007 "marchamo".

There are many reasons why these owners have not paid their marchamo, but they will all fall on deaf ears of the Policía de Tránsito, who in applying the law, can fine owners ¢13.000 colones (us$25.24) - the Tránsito fine is ¢10.000, the other ¢3.000 are added costs to the fine - and confiscate the vehicles' license plates.

In addition, there are fines levied on the amounts owed. The INS will add 3% per month for the compulsory insurance process; the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (COSEVI) will add 0.10% for any outstanding fines of the Ley de Transito (traffic laws); and a 0.39% fine on the tax portion of the marchamo will add to the total cost for late payment.

Guillermo Constenla, president of the INS, explained a vehicle worth ¢4 million colones can see ¢19.000 colones added to the cost of the marchamo in only one month.

Constenla added that there is no excuse for not paying the "marchamo". Unlike the past years where many preferred wait until January to pay the marchamo, avoiding the long lines that were a tradition especially in the last week of December, this year in addition to being able to pay the marchamo at banks, many insurance agent offices, payment could be made online by way of the internet. Constenla said that 53% of vehicle owners used the internet to pay their "marchamo".

And unlike in the past years where owners where given a grace period of up to the first 15 days in the new year, this year there will be none.

German Marín, director of the Policía de Tránsito said that his officials are ready to give out tickets to drivers of vehicles that have not paid the marchamo, though they have yet to set up road blocks for that sole purpose. Marín said that during the first two days of the year, 22 vehicle owners were fined for not having their marchamo paid, vehicles that were stopped during normal traffic police operations.

Marín added that though his officials have the right to confiscate plates for non payment of the marchamo, they will only do so in extreme cases, cases where the driver is inebriated or speeding, etc., and/or where the vehicle appears unsafe.

Through the marchamo, the INS will collect ¢61 million colones (us$).

A reminder that the marchamo cannot be paid if the vehicle does not count with the RTV - the annual vehicle inspection - certificate. The Riteve stations are working at full capacity to meet the demand to inspect vehicles who have not yet done so, according to Fernanod Mayorga, general manager of Riteve S.A.

The Riteve and INS computers are linked that once a vehicle has passed the RTV inspection the information is updated within 24 hours by the INS computer which will then allow the more than 733 points of sale to collect and issue the 2007 marchamo.

The process of retrieving a confiscated vehicle can be very frustrating as the owner has to first find out where the vehicle is being stored, then pay the ¢13.000 and any other outstanding fines in a process that can take hours at the COSEVI offices in La Uruca. Storage and towing fees will be added to the final bill when the vehicle is retrieved from the Policía de Tránsito impound lot.

If a Tránsito official makes the decision to impound the vehicle, the owner will be given a detailed report of the condition and contents of the vehicle, which can then be used in a claim against any damages or loss of belongings while the vehicle is in the impound.